Finally Ginger
by KissHerJack
Summary: Doctor here… Doctor there… and after bending time and space to his will, The Doctor finally gets Ginger. Setting: Alternative Series 3. On a linear scale, about 6 months after the beach scene in Doomsday. But, we’re talking Time Lord here… for him, it
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Finally… Ginger**

Author: Gail R. Delaney

Status: Complete - I think. I mean, this is as far as I can think to go. If I can think of more, I'll submit.

Genre: 9/10/Rose, AU, Romance, HEA, with some 8 thrown in for good measure. Reunion Fic.

Setting: Alternative Series 3. On a linear scale, about 6 months after the beach scene in Doomsday. But, we're talking Time Lord here… for him, it could have been a day, a week, or a 100 years. 

Summary: Doctor here… Doctor there… and after bending time and space to his will, The Doctor finally gets Ginger.

Spoilers: I twist Doomsday… but if you didn't see it yet, then this will be a SPOILER

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, in an reincarnation, or any of his companions. I just like to play, and make them do what I want. I know that some might see one or two continuity errors – if they look close enough and think hard enough – but since the entire franchise of Doctor Who has never been real big on continuity, I'm not worried about it.

Rating: PG-13 at the worst


	2. Chapter 2

_Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff that life is made of_. _Benjamin Franklin_

Time.

Hundreds of years, and all he thought he had was time. How can one squander something they possess in such abundance? The universe was his. Time a toy in a little blue box.

_All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that_._ Baltasar Gracian_

What good did time do him?

_All my possessions for a moment in time. Elizabeth I_

That was more like it. He'd give up a hundred years - he'd give up his last regeneration - to have just a few more moments on that beach in Norway. Just a few moments more to say what he had been to much of a coward to say before.

"Rose Tyler, I love you. You wonderful human, you stole my hearts. You woke me. You saved me. You made me whole. Made me better. I will forever love you."

But, for all intents and purposes, he was out of time. He'd wasted it. Even before she was sucked through the Void. Before his chest caved in around the black hole her absence created. He'd taken pleasure and peace in her body, he'd whispered of inconsequential things while her heat and her love wrapped around him. He'd let himself sink into her touch, granted himself the guilty pleasure of knowing Rose Tyler loved him. And he'd loved her.

He just never told her.

Time Lord. Master of Time and Space. And he was a fool.

She'd told him to let the world end for just a brief touch. And he almost did. His hearts had pounded in his chest when she said 'baby', and he tried to ignore the sudden ache when she said it was her mother, and not her, that carried a child. He would have let two universes die if she had said he gave her a baby. He would have found a way, found a safe haven, for them. The TARDIS could sustain them forever... existence be damned.

Now, he lived with regret - just one on the great pile of stinking, festering regret that hovered over him - but this was so much worse than the others. His people were dead. Worlds torn apart. Civilizations changed forever by his influence. And of all that, his greatest regret was not saying three words.

The Doctor looked down at the glowing console of his beautiful machine, and felt the deep stroke of melancholy she projected. In a way it was a comfort. He knew he was not alone in his pain. Not alone. But lonely, none the less. Companions had come and gone so many times, people he cared for. People who left their mark. But, he'd never let himself feel what he felt for Rose. Perhaps, it wasn't a matter of allowing himself. Perhaps it wasn't a choice. She was just the first that forced him to feel.

When would it fade, he wondered. It hurt as real now as the day she was taken from him. As real as the day he said good-bye.

Time.

Now, he had all the time in existence to mourn.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mum, I'm so scared."

Jackie stroked Rose's damp hair off her forehead, and Rose tried to focus on the contact rather than the tightening pain that twisted her body. She pressed her own fingers into the sides of her huge stomach, feeling the muscles tighten with the next contraction.

"You need to breathe, sweetheart. You're doing just fine."

Rose twisted her head on her pillow, her vision blurred by tears - tears of pain and tears of panic. "But what if the baby isn't?"

"Why wouldn't she be, sweetheart?" Jackie's voice was soft and reassuring, but it did nothing to assuage Rose's fear.

"You_know_ why," she ground out through clenched teeth as the contraction intensified. Rose groaned and threw her head back, closing her eyes.

"Sweetheart, your father isn't going to let anyone take your baby. He promised you."

Spots danced beneath her eyelids and her hands flailed to find the bed rails. An intense, undeniable need to _push_ took over, and whatever fears she harbored were forgotten. One way or another, she was having this baby. _His_baby. The Doctor. And she hoped to God the Universe would forgive her for lying to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

NO SIGN OF 'CYBERMEN' IN UK – AUTHORITIES STUMPED

"Hey! Who the 'ell you think you are?"

The Doctor ignored the newsman's shouts as he marched away from the newsstand with the pilfered newspaper in hand. Other Londoners gave him odd looks, either it be from the newman's shouts or his out-of-date clothing. Then again, The Doctor was never one to try and match the current trend. Current, that was, for whatever planet and time he happened to land.

The breeze off the Thames blew his curly hair around, and he once again cursed his fate when it fell over his eyes. Curly brown hair… and long. Once, just once, he wished for ginger or something interesting. Seven regenerations, and he was running out of hope.

But, right now, the local newspaper held his attention. Cybermen? How did he miss this? He found a park bench and sat, scanning the article. It only left him more confused. Surely, if Cybermen were here – on Earth – he would have known. The TARDIS would have told him.

Of course, there was that odd glitch a bit back when the TARDIS scanners went nutty. Trying to tell him he was on both Anterallise and Earth. Ridiculous.

He would have to return to Gallifrey soon to have her checked out. Couldn't have his beautiful ship falter for lack of care. She deserved his attention, and she would have it.

The Doctor stood and refolded the newspaper, dusting pollen from his trousers and the velvet sleeves of his jacket. As he tossed the paper into the nearest rubbish bin, another headline caught his attention.

MIRACLE BABY BORN WITH TWO PERFECT HEARTS.

He brushed aside the rolled paper that once held fish and chips, and the browning skin of a banana, to remove the _London Inquisitor_ from the trash. Flipping through the pages printed in shades of gray, he found the article and quickly read it.

_Doctors at St. Bartholomew's Hospital confirmed today that a baby girl was born Tuesday last with two fully functioning, perfectly formed hearts. Dr. Hakim Markin – a cardiologist called in to consult on the case – stated that although there have been documented cases of babies born with a second, defective or effectively dead heart – this is the first known case where both hearts are perfectly formed. The hearts mirror each others position within the chest cavity, and apparently compliment each other to operate an incredible cardiovascular system._

_Ms. Rose Tyler – the daughter of Health Drink Icon and up-and-coming political figure Peter Tyler – has been named as the miracle child's mother. The Tyler family has declined any interviews, and has only stated that there are no incidents of this type of genetic defect in the family. _

The Doctor tore the single page from the gossip rag, and folded it quickly before slipping it into the inside pocket of his travel jacket. The soft whoosh of a zephyr overhead had him glancing up, but he only shook his head and headed toward the TARDIS. There was only one explanation for the 'genetic defect'. Since no mention was made of the same defect in the mother, it could only mean the child's father was Gallifreyan.

How could that be? Time Lords had not been conceived in such a basic, primitive way since… longer than The Doctor could recall. Not with their own race, and certainly not with another race. Not humans.

Cybermen aside, The Doctor intended to find the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

_Tyler Estate_

"I'm telling you now, BACK OFF or I'm calling the bloody police!" Peter Tyler shouted over the myriad of questions being thrown at them by the paparazzi bustling around the front of the house.

He kept his arm around Rose's shoulder, holding both Rose and her infant daughter close to his side as he pushed through the crowd.

"Ms. Tyler! Is it true that you are an employee of Torchwood? Did they experiment on at the Torchwood Institute?"

"Ms. Tyler! Is your lover an alien!"

Rose almost laughed. The media wanted to sensationalize her baby, but they had no idea just how close to the truth they really were. As they pushed through the crowd and made it to the door, Rose glanced back over her shoulder and a single man caught her attention.

He stood quietly, a still force amongst the bumping crowd, dressed in a dark velvet jacket and a brown silk cravat. Long, wavy brown hair framed a somber face as he watched her. Then he was lost in the crowd as her father shut the door. The baby whimpered and Rose looked down, pulling back the satin-trimmed edge of her pink blanket.

Light reddish hair curled like down feathers around her new daughter's head, and although her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, Rose knew they were pale blue. She drew in a longsuffering breath, releasing it with a shudder through her tiny body as if to say "Glad that's over".

"You want to put her down for a bit, sweetheart?"

Rose shook her head as she stepped to the stained glass windows that framed the front door. She felt shielded by the glass and peeked through the pattern to the photographers and reporters who refused to leave.

He was still there, the strange man who stuck out like a sore thumb. As if he knew exactly where she would be, he turned his head and his eyes trained on her. Rose jerked out of sight and pressed her back to the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose couldn't shake the odd feeling that tickled the back of her neck and made her practically growl in frustration. It reminded her of the early days with The Doctor, when he spoke so fast and she wanted so badly to understand.

With a huff, she rolled her head on her pillow and looked at the clock beside her bed. Nearly three in the morning. The baby would be awake any minute, and she hadn't slept since the last feeding. Rose threw her arm across her eyes and groaned. What the 'ell was she thinking that she could be a mother?

A mother!

"If your dad is a Time Lord," she whispered to the dark room in the general direction of the bassinette in the corner. "Wha's that make you? A Time Princess?" Silence answered her, and Rose laughed at the pathetic joke as she closed her eyes.

The heavy weight of sleep finally pulled at her limbs, but just as she slipped into the pleasantness of silence, her daughter's cry cut through the darkness. She threw back her duvet, forcing her exhausted body from the bed, and stumbled to the bassinette with her eyes half closed.

She'd decided the first night that she didn't like the chair in her room to nurse in, but hadn't gotten around to moving things around. Making small shushing noises, she instinctively found her way to the parlor and sank into her favorite chair. The arms were soft and high, and she could settle in with ease.

Holding the baby to her breast, Rose tried once more to find a name befitting the daughter of a Time Lord. Mary wouldn't do. Jane. Not even something so simple and common as Rose. She had read through no less that three baby name books, and nothing was good enough. Nothing grand enough.

"I wonder what kind of names they use on Gallifrey." She stroked her daughter's soft curls.

"Beautiful names," came a voice from the dark corner of the room. "But you could never pronounce any of them."

Rose jerked and the baby cried softly, but soon latched on again and fell silent. Somehow, Rose wasn't surprised to see the man who stepped from the shadows. The odd man with brown, wavy hair and clothing from another century. And, she would guess, another world.

He walked forward slowly, his hands tucked behind his back and his head tilted as he studied the baby. Rose's skin flushed with self-consciousness, but she couldn't move to pull the edge of the blanket over her baby's face. His gaze wasn't lecherous, just curious. Studying.

"She's beautiful."

The words rolled easily from his tongue, and for one brief moment, Rose heard another voice. _You're beautiful… for a human._

He raised his chin, and Rose gasped, the sudden movement startling her.

"Tell me who the father is."

Rose tried to look somewhere between ticked and unbothered. "Don't even talk 'bout 'im. Worthless wanker. Took off soon as I told him. Me mum always told me he was no good."

"Don't lie to me, child. I want the name of the Time Lord who fathered your child." His voice was stern, but held no real threat.

"'Scuse me? Time what?"

"Time Lord. The child is half-Gallifreyan and I intend to—"

"Your cracked if you think you're doing anything with my baby," she snapped before he could finish the thought.

His eyes shifted between her and the baby, apparently unfazed by her declaration. "You have nothing to fear from me."

"'Scuse me if I don't believe the strange man who broke into my house and stood in the dark watching me!"

"Who the hell are you?" boomed Pete Tyler's voice from the doorway.

Her father's arrival drove Rose to her feet. "Dad, take the baby," she said quickly, handing off the pink bundle as she tugged her clothing into place again. "I've got this."

"I'm not going anywhere."

The stranger only smiled, a small tip of his lips and nothing more. With one hand still tucked behind his back, he started a slow converse of the room, the tips of his fingers skimming along the back of furniture and over the polished surface of the table. He paused at a bowl of fruit, moving aside a green apple to pick up a banana. Lifting it to his nose, he inhaled deeply and grinned.

"Ms. Tyler, we can spend the next hour dancing around the truth – and hour you desperately need to rest, I'm sure – or we can resolve this. My people have a responsibility to the universe, but that responsibility does not extend to fathering bastard alien cross-species children."

"Shut up!" she snapped, taking the two long strides needed to reach him. "You think I'm going to bloody well stand here while you call my child a –a…" She couldn't repeat the words, and resorted instead to slapping him across the cheek with such force her fingers immediately burned with the sting. But she'd be damned if he saw her flinch. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

He touched his knuckle to the corner of his lip, and glanced at it. "I'm the Doctor," he said coolly, taking a white handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket. "And I'm also not accustomed to being slapped by humans."

"Get used to it!"

Even as she shouted the words, his revelation slammed into her. Rose gripped the back of a nearby chair to keep from falling over, and she stared at him.

"Bloody hell," her father mumbled. "Leave it to the bloody Doctor to leave everything pear shaped, and pop in months later with a flippin' rainbow comin' out his arse. What the hell'd you do to get this face?"

Rose shook her head, staring at the Doctor. Dear God…could it be? She'd pondered the idea once or twice, but never held hope she was right. That it could happen. Jackie there… Jackie here. Pete there… Pete here. Mickey… Rickey. Why the hell not, right?

"Are you actually blaming this child on me, sir? I assure you—"

"Not you," Rose said softly, but quickly drew the attention of both men. "But yeah, you…"

Neither man spoke, and Rose managed to gather her wits enough to step closer. She reached to her side and switched on a lamp, casting a soft light over the four of them. Swallowing against the dry desert that restricted her throat, she raised her hands and rested her palms against his chest. He looked down, but didn't push her hands away, and met her eyes again. His twin hearts beat steady and strong through his clothing, and she smiled.

"Which one are you?" she asked, finally raising her chin to meet his gaze. He wasn't much taller than her in this life.

"Which one am I?"

"Yeah, you know… which regeneration."

"I've regenerated seven time, but I fail to see—"

"You're not him yet."

"Ms. Tyler, I don't have many opportunities to say this, but you have confused me."

Rose blinked and licked her lips, running conversations and lessons through her mind. There was hope, but only if certain things were true here that weren't where Her Doctor came from. "C-can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"Time War… you had one?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Time War?"

"Yeah. With the Daleks. Bad all around. All of Gallifrey gone."

"Sounds like the thing of nightmares."

Rose covered her face with her palms and drew a shaky breath. The first time they were thrown into this world, The Doctor had told her there had been a time when his people did this all the time. When the Time Lords moved between time, space and dimension with ease. But the ability had been lost with the War.

If there was no war… then maybe, just maybe.

She raised her chin and stared at him, looking for some sign that the man she loved existed somewhere within this stranger. A man who had yet to become the Doctor she knew.

"I have a story to tell you."


	5. Chapter 5

The early light of dawn lit the downstairs parlor in a soft pink-yellow glow as Rose finished her story. She was tired, and the baby had already woken to demand her breakfast, but Rose wanted to make sure The Doctor – _this_ Doctor – heard enough to believe her.

He hadn't said much, only asking for clarification at certain points along the way. The questions were unique and she knew he was testing her. Otherwise, he sat in his chair with his legs crossed, his elbows resting on the arms, and his fingers steepled in front of his lips. Rose tried to focus on the story, and not how much his studying stance reminded her of worn leather and warm TARDIS libraries.

"So, we threw the Void _wide_ open and it sucked all the Daleks and Cybermen in, emptying both worlds. And it just shut in on itself. Snap."

Rose's throat was tight and dry, but she forced herself to think only of the events and not what they had done to her. That day had been the worst of her life, followed only by the day her dad – her real dad – died in her arms. The difference was that on that day, she had Her Doctor to comfort her.

He nodded slowly, tapping his fingertips against his lips before drawing in a deep breath and folding his hands in his lap. "And that is how you came to be here and he was left there?"

Rose nodded. "I-I slipped. The vortex started to suck me in because I had the Voidstuff—"

"Voidstuff?"

"Yeah, the particles or whatever that was on us from comin' through the first time. Anyway, I couldn't hold on and it sucked me in, but my dad popped through and pulled me here." Her voice cracked slightly as she finished, and she glanced down at her daughter nuzzled against her chest, finding her grounding force to continue. "The Doctor found a gap, and we got to say good-bye. But, he told me it was useless. He couldn't come for me."

"Did he say why not? It's relatively simple. If he's any kind of Time Lord—"

"For you, yeah. This you. This world," she said, looking up again, cutting him off mid-posturing. "But things are way different where we come from. There was that war I asked you about, the Time War. He never told me much because it hurt, ya know? But, he lost everyone. His home. His people. And he told me that when Gallifrey died, so did the power to move between parallel universes. It's like… like the War threw everything arse over teakettle."

This Doctor closed his eyes, but not before Rose saw a brief flash of dark emotion. Perhaps he hadn't lived through the war, but he could imagine what it would be like, and just the idea of it hurt him. Even though her Doctor in the first form she knew him in was different from the second, the deeper part of him was the same. There was an elemental essence that she knew, believed with all her heart, if she met every one of his regenerations that element would be the same.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell on the baby, and the darkness softened. "Did he know?" he asked simply.

Rose swallowed and shook her head. "I didn't know until I was here. Until after."

"You said to spoke with him. Didn't you feel obligated to tell him?"

His voice carried a sharp edge now, and Rose tried to understand his place in it all. Although the baby she held wasn't _his_, in another place and time a man he would maybe become, _did _father a child.

"Let me ask you something." Rose curled the baby girl to her shoulder and stood, wincing at the protests of her still-tender body. She took the two steps she needed to reach the Doctor, and before he could protest or stop her, laid the baby in his arms. Nothing short of panic made his eyes wide, but he cradled the baby to his velvet jacket. She sighed deeply, smacking her mouth, and a small smile tipped his lips. "If that were your child, what would you do to bring her back to you?"

He didn't answer immediately, staring down at her angelic face. A soft fuzz of reddish-brown hair covered her head and her tiny fists curled against her cheeks. Finally, he raised his head and looked up at her.

"I would move the heavens."

"Would you risk destroying an entire universe?"

He looked at the baby again, brushing his fingertip across her cheek. His answer was barely a whisper, but it was no surprise. In his core, he was the same man.

"Yes."

"That's why I didn't tell him. When I went to that beach, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if I would see him, touch him, or if it were all a dream. He was little more than a ghost, and when he told me what would happen, I knew I couldn't tell him. I wanted to, so much. But, I didn't."

"Quite right, too."

Her chest squeezed at the brief flash of a memory.

"_I love you."_

_He smiled, and spoke so softly she almost didn't hear him. "Quite right, too." _

_Despite the pain, she smiled and felt the small bubble of laughter in her chest. No matter, he always made her laugh._

"_And I suppose this is my last chance to say it…Rose Tyler—"_

_He was gone. Gone like mist on the wind. _

Rose left the baby in his arms and sat again on the couch. She was tired to her bones. The baby was a week old, and she hadn't managed to string together more than 2 or 3 hours at a time. A constant fear that someone would come and take her child kept her from finding any real rest.

"Will you help me?" she finally dared ask.

She held her breath, waiting for him to look up again. He studied her, and she waited. Waited for the rest of her life to begin, or resume, depending on what he said.

"If I take you back, you can't return here. I have the ability to cross, but he will not. Do you understand this?"

Rose felt her mother's gaze on her, just like when she was 15 and snuck onto the balcony to smoke a fag and her mom caught her. She knew Jackie Tyler was there before she ever turned around. Rose looked toward the doorway and saw her mom, tears streaming down her cheeks, and her heart broke.

Jackie crossed the room, her arms crossed over her body. She tried to smile, but Rose knew it was hard. "She knows," Jackie finally said, her voice broken. "We all know." She leaned over and took her grandchild from his arms, pressing a kiss to her tiny cheek. "I don't want to lose my daughter, Doctor, but if you can make her happy again, that's all that matters."

Rose stood and wrapped her arms around her mother and daughter.

She heard the shift of his clothing against the chair, but didn't turn back. "I will return in one hour. Be ready."


	6. Chapter 6

"I swear to you, Mum, if I ever find a way—"

"I know, sweetheart." Jackie held her so tight, she could barely breathe, but Rose didn't pull away. This could be the last time she ever hugged her mother. She didn't want to let go any more than her mother did. "When you see that Doctor of yours, you tell him that if he brings you back to me, I'll give him a big kiss."

Rose laughed. "I'm not sure that's incentive, Mum."

Jackie laughed softly and finally let go, wiping the running mascara from her cheeks. Pete Tyler, the man who had become Rose's father, pulled Jackie to his side and kissed her hair. He had already said his farewells, and Rose recognized the strained control in the lines around his eyes.

Drawing a shuttered breath, Rose turned to Mickey who waited patiently with Baby Tyler in his arms. Rose smiled and held out her hands, laying her palms on his cheeks. Mickey leaned forward and she kissed him, letting her lips linger just a little longer than they needed to.

Silent, she took the baby from him and glanced toward the open door of the TARDIS. Just beyond she saw the control console and the piston as it slowly worked up and down within its chamber. The Doctor had granted her a few minutes to say good-bye, but like his future selves, he was an impatient man. Her bags, and the diaper bags packed to capacity, already waited inside by the fireplace. Rose intended to speak to her Doctor about bringing the fireplace back to the control room. It was lovely.

Stopping at the door, she looked back and swallowed the massive lump in her throat. "I love you," she whispered, and before she lost her slipping grip on control, she stepped inside the TARDIS and closed the door.

As soon as the doors closed, the Doctor began to manipulate the switches, buttons and pumps on the console and the heart of the TARDIS came to life. Rose closed her eyes as the beautiful ship came to life, the familiar sounds of her life force humming through Rose's blood.

"You may wish to secure the child. It has been some time since I traversed the Void, and I fear it may be a rough ride."

Rose nodded and crossed the control room to the car seat she had brought with her, which was now secured safely to the floor. She laid the baby down, and smiled because the little girl was already asleep. She understood. The TARDIS served as a sweet lullabye that had lulled her to sleep more than once.

When she straightened, she caught the Doctor watching her intently. His gaze shifted to the baby and back to her.

"Have you chosen a name for the babe?"

Rose joined him at the console, running her fingertips along the edge. It was different, just like the rest of the control room. Although _her_ TARDIS had remained the same, she knew he could change it. Sarah Jane had commented on his new décor. Somehow, this TARDIS felt different. She felt the life, the presence, that was the consciousness of the machine but it lacked the familiarity she had grown to expect and love in her own ship.

She smiled and wondered if her Doctor would object to her referring to the ship as hers.

"Not yet," she finally answered. "What do you think? What would you name her?"

He shook his head. "That is not my place. Leave that to him." The sound of the engines changed and he shifted his attention to the console. "We are preparing to breach the Void."

She gripped the edge and glanced back to her sleeping baby. The TARDIS shook, rattled and tilted; but, overall the ride was much smoother than many she'd hung on for dear life through. This TARDIS hadn't survived a war.

The engines quieted and the ship settled into a gentle hover mode, neither here nor there, neither solid nor vapid, just _there._

"I've opened the TARDIS' scanners. If she truly is the only TARDIS in this Universe, we will find your Doctor soon enough. The further he is from this time and place, the longer it will take, of course."

"How long do you think?"

"No more than a few hours. You should get some rest. There are sleeping chambers through that door." He nodded toward the closed door on the other side of the control room.

"If it's all right, I'd like to just sit here. I like the sound of the engines, and the baby is happy."

He nodded, avoiding her eyes now. "Of course."

Rose curled into the large leather chair this Doctor kept near the fire, and smiled as a flame came to life in the hearth. Forever the caregiver, the TARDIS had given her what she needed before she needed it. She rested her head on the high back of the chair and watched the flames. She wanted to sleep, but knew that would be impossible.

A giddy sense of anticipation bubbled in her chest, making it hard to even think of sleep. Even with the TARDIS to soothe her. In a few hours, she could have him back.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," he answered from the other side of the room that seemed so much larger than her Doctor's control room.

"Can you tell how long it's been? Since he saw me?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Will he be…" she cleared her throat. "Will he be my Doctor?"

"That I cannot answer, either. I am fairly confident that we will not find my alternative self in a past regeneration. I calibrated the TARDIS scanners using your biorhythmic signature, which should draw us to him in some moment after you first joined him. His TARDIS will recognize you and draw me to them. I've attempted to narrow the scan to exclude the readings which most strongly show your presence, so as to prevent us from meeting with them while you are still his companion. This would cause a… " He paused, and smiled, shaking his head. "I apologize, child. This is beyond your understanding."

"It would cause a paradox. The same me existing in the same place at the same time. It would tear the fabric of time."

He arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps I misjudged you."

"Don't worry, it's not the first time you've done it."

He smiled again, understanding she meant his alternative self. It seemed to be a consistent personality trait. "Of course."

An alarm twittered, and Rose's heart jumped. The Doctor moved around the console and she slipped from the chair, walking on suddenly wobbly legs to join him. "Did you find him?"

He nodded. "Yes." When he looked up, his eyes carried an expression somewhere between excitement and sadness. "Very soon, Ms. Tyler, you will have your wish granted."

Rose cleared her throat, her pulse pounding so hard she wondered if her heart would burst through her chest. "Thank you. You have no idea—"

"I think perhaps I do," he said, gently cutting her off as his eyes shifted to the baby sleeping in her chair.


	7. Chapter 7

The wind that drifted across the fields of Castaneda ruffled his hair and pulled at the long tails of his coat. The Doctor closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, enjoying the scent of barley grass and blossoming fruit trees. Spring in Castaneda was like no other season on any other planet, except perhaps Gallifrey.

That's why he came here. It was almost as good as home.

"We going to stay here all night?" Martha asked, walking up behind him. "I mean, I like it and all, but it's getting dark, Doctor."

"No," he said, opening his eyes. "It's time to go."

She rested her hand in the bend of his arm as they walked, but he kept his hands tucked securely in the deep pockets of his trousers. No temptation for her to lace her fingers through his. He wasn't in the right frame of mind for holding hands, even if it meant nothing more than affirming someone walked beside him.

"So, why'd we come here anyway? There's no great catastrophe looming. No amazing cities or fascinating aliens."

"I just come for the fresh air," he said, only half listening to her speak. He liked Martha well enough, she was a good companion. But, she didn't know when to be silent and enjoy the silence. She constantly felt the need to fill the quiet with chin-waggin'

They crested a hill, and the TARDIS came into view. The field reminded him of a similar tableau in Scotland, around 1870 or so. Where werewolves were real, and queens were not amused. He smiled, enjoying the memory.

Martha was talking, about what he wasn't sure, as they reached the door. He slipped the key from his pocket and opened the door, stepping inside.

And stopped short.

Something was different.

Martha pushed past him, climbing up the ramp with her boots clanking on the metal grate. "You comin' in, or what?"

He squinted, staring at the engine piston as he closed the door. The Doctor tilted his head, listening… feeling.

"Don't you feel it?" he asked.

"Feel what?"

"Shush," he hissed, waving his hand at her to be silent. She pulled a face and crossed her arms, but stopped talking.

The Doctor reached the console and ran his finger along the edge. A gentle, warm push wrapped around his mind and spread through him. He smiled and reached out to touch the piston chamber.

"What's got you so happy?" he asked of the ship.

"'Scuse me?"

He looked to Martha, who had sat in the jump seat, her feet resting on the console edge. "She's happy. Something has made her happy." He drew in a long breath through his nose, enjoying the sharing with his beautiful ship.

A scent tickled his nose. Familiar. Immediately, his blood rushed and his heart sped up in a visceral reaction to the smell. Deep. Undeniable.

_It couldn't be. It was his mind playing tricks. Or the TARDIS, trying to give him a gift_.

"Doctor, you okay?"

_It's real_.

It had been a very long time since his ship had chosen to communicate so directly. Not since last regeneration. Not since she took it upon herself to play with time, and convince him that Rose needed to be with them. The Doctor squinted. "No."

_Yes_. _Happy._

A rush of unadulterated joy hit the base of his skull like a shot of champagne to his veins and he sucked in a breath, his senses filling with the glorious scent of roses. Roses…

"You're freakin' me out just a bit, Doctor."

He ran from the control room, nearly flipping himself over the guard rail on the catwalk beyond the doorway. Martha was on his heels, shouting his name, but he didn't stop. _Rasillion, let this be real. I don't care how. I don't care what I have to do to deserve it… I'll do it. Take my lives. Take it all. Please_.

The TARDIS led him, and shortened his path until he reached the closed door to his own bedchamber. A room he hadn't slept in – and had barely entered – since she had gone. Her clothes were still scattered on the floor, except for the sweaters and underthings he had tortured himself with in the darkest hours.

He stopped at the double doors, his hands on the knobs and his forehead resting on the ornately carved wood. Martha caught up, breathing hard behind him. Before she could ask again, he took his soul in hand and opened the door.

His hearts stopped and he nearly collapsed to his knees.

The rich burgundy coverlet disguised a curled form near the edge of the bed, and a fan of blonde hair covered the pillow. He stumbled forward, finally kneeling at the bedside as he reached out a trembling hand to pull back the blanket.

Her lips were parted slightly in sleep, her cheeks rosy from the heat trapped beneath the blanket. The Doctor couldn't breathe. He wanted to touch her cheek, to assure himself she was real, but he was afraid she would disappear like a dream if he did.

Somewhere in the back of his awareness, he heard the bedroom door close. Without taking his eyes from Rose's face — _because she had to be Rose. She had to be—_ he reached out blindly behind him to find a nearby chair, pulling it to the edge of the bed. Sitting in the chair, he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his legs.

And he waited.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose stretched as she woke, drawing in a deep breath, smiling as her head filled with the familiar scent of their bed and their bedroom. It always reminded her of sandalwood, autumn and leather. Gorgeous heat permeated her body, making her feel languid and heavy.

She hadn't slept so deeply in months. Maybe it was the TARDIS lullabye she loved so much, or the knowledge that she was home, either way it felt glorious. Rose wondered how long she'd slept, and stilled momentarily, listening for any sign her daughter was awake. When she'd arrived in the suite, she'd found a beautiful bassinette covered in lace and ribbons waiting in a small room just off the bedroom. A room she had never seen before, and had no doubt appeared just for her needs.

The TARDIS always took care of her. And the wonderful ship must have lulled her daughter into deep sleep as well, because all Rose heard was the TARDIS hum.

Drawing another deep breath, Rose opened her eyes, and her breath caught in her chest.

He didn't blink, his lips slightly parted as he stared at her. Rose's hear thumped painfully in her chest and sudden tears stung her eyes when she finally realized he was there, and he was real. She slowly sat up, bracing her elbows on the mattress to keep herself reclined. The only part of him that moved was his eyes as they shifted over her features.

Rose swallowed and licked her lips, trying to summon enough courage to speak. One of them had to, or she'd go insane.

"Y-you going to just sit there and stare?" she managed to say, practically choking on the words.

He launched from the chair, and before she could react, his hands were on her cheeks and his mouth covered hers in a soul-wrenching kiss that shot through her like a lightning bolt and tore a purring groan from her throat as she fell back onto the mound of pillows behind her. Rose raised her hands and laced her fingers into his unruly hair as he laid his lanky body over her, the thick coverlet separating them.

The kiss made her dizzy, but he didn't stop, his lips and tongue playing magic with her senses and her equilibrium. Her body tingled, a zing of arousal spiking from her breasts to the juncture of her thighs. The Doctor finally broke the kiss to bury his face against the curve of her throat, and she felt the slick moisture of tears on her cheeks. Whether they were hers or his, she didn't know.

"You're really here," he said against her skin, and her heart jumped again at the sound. He lifted his head and looked down at her, his face hovering over hers. "You're here."

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

"How? It's impossible!"

"It's an amazing story, Doctor." A war of emotions battled in her chest, exhilaration to be in his arms again, and choking fear at what he might say or do when she told him the whole story.

He kissed her again and settled beside her, his temple resting against his curled hand to support his head. A wide grin lit his face and he stroked his fingers across her cheek. She understood, wanting to keep the contact as much as she knew he needed it. "Tell me. But, tell me quickly."

"Why?"

The Doctor wagged his eyebrows and Rose chuckled. But, his offhand seduction reminded her she had something to tell him. Rose studied his face and reminded herself how his alternative self had reacted to the baby. Despite the different timelines, she felt they were in the core the same man. She knew he wouldn't hate her for having the child, but would he hate her for not telling him.

Rose laid her hand on his cheek and he turned into it, kissing her palm. She rolled her lips together to hide the tremble, and took a fortifying breath. "I need to tell you something first."

"Me first."

"Doctor—"

"I love you."

Rose blinked, her mouth moving in an attempt to form words that were suddenly lost. She pressed her fingertips to her lips, blinking against the tears that welled in her eyes. He curled his long fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand from her mouth, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Rose Tyler, I love you."

A sudden sense of urgency slammed in to her chest, and she knew she had to get this out. Had to tell him before his daughter did by putting her 'amazing' lungs to work. With two hearts, she could pelt out the screams for a right long time without getting tired.

"I lied to you."

It was his turn to blink, and deep lines furrowed his brow. He frowned. "What?"

"I lied to you, Doctor. But I had to."

"About what?"

Feeling hot and smothered by the heavy blankets, Rose threw them off and shimmied to the far edge of the bed, taking a deep breath even though she immediately missed contact with the Doctor. She sat on the edge, her back to him, and drew several fortifying breaths. She heard him move, felt the shift of the bed, as he stood on the other side. By the time he had walked around the foot of the bed and stood on her side, his hands were pushed into his trousers and tight lines bracketed his eyes.

"About what, Rose?" His voice was soft, but rough, and it tugged at her.

She stood, brushing her hands over her face and pushed back her blonde hair now rumpled from sleep. Where to begin? How to start? How did she say it?

"When did you lie?"

_Okay… that was a good starting point_.

Knowing he deserved to see her face when she told him, she raised her chin and met his stern eyes. He was mentally bracing himself, she saw it clear as day, because she knew him. Rose released a pent up breath, puffing her cheeks as it left her.

"On that beach in Norway."

"When we said good-bye."

Rose nodded. "Yes." Nervous energy compelled her to pace, but she forced herself to stand her spot, crossing her arms over her sweater. A hundred thousand times, she'd run the conversation in her mind. What she would say. What he would say. Every possible scenario. Every possible response. But now, they all were gone. She had nothing.

And he remained silent.

"Oh, to hell with it," she finally groaned, and brushed past him to the new door that had appeared in the bedroom.

The room beyond was now twice the size it had been, and had begun to fill with various pieces of furniture. An armoire, a dressing table, even a rocking chair. One wall was a buttery yellow that flowed into a pink and white stripe. The third wall was white with butterflies of various colors and sizes. The TARDIS was trying to decide. Rose smiled, but didn't have time to properly thank the ship for its obvious affection for her baby.

The Doctor didn't follow her, and for that she was thankful. He was probably trying to figure out where the extra door came from. She brushed aside the fine lace that shrouded the bassinette, and smiled when an angelic face looked up at her with wide eyes and a tuft of ginger hair sticking up from the top of her head.

Tears welled again, and in that moment, Rose had an epiphany. _Perfect_.

She scooped the baby up and rested her daughter against her shoulder, draping a blanket over her. A soft sigh warmed her cheek and Rose kissed her downy hair. "It's now or never, little one. Ready to meet Daddy?"

Rose turned back to the door, and saw the Doctor in the bedroom. He hadn't moved, except to drop his head forward. His hands were still in his pockets and his back was to her. Rose adjusted her daughter and focused on what he had said just minutes before.

_I love you._

"Doctor…" Her voice was rough, and cracked beneath the strain, but it was loud enough to raise his head.

He turned on his heels, and in one flash the stern stoicism melted. His eyes rounded and his mouth fell open, and for perhaps the one and only time ever, Rose knew she had left the Great Doctor speechless.

She didn't hesitate, but strode forward and brought the baby down into her arms. When she reached him, she held the bundle out, forcing him to take her or let her drop. Rose knew that would never happen. His hands were unsteady, and he looked like he was about to collapse, but he took her, his gaze never leaving her tiny face.

"When I told you there were five of us, I lied. I lied when I said it was my mum."

His head snapped up then, his eyes shining. "You mean…"

Rose swallowed, reaching out a trembling hand to smooth it over her baby's – _their_ baby's – hair. "Yeah. Doctor, this is your daughter. Ginger."

His smile lit up his entire face, taking over every feature. "Imagine that," he said, the childish glee she loved so much dancing through his voice. "Ginger."

Rose smiled as the panic slipped away, and she wondered why she was ever afraid to begin with. His features relaxed, and his gaze skimmed her face. Adjusting the baby in his hold as if he'd done it his entire life, he freed one hand to lay it against Rose's cheek, his thumb stroking away the moisture there. She couldn't help the small choked sob that slipped from her throat, and he immediately wrapped the arm around her and pulled her close. Rose buried her face against his blue jacket, letting the strain and stress of so many months flow away with her tears.

His fingers rubbed the back of her neck and pushed into her hair and he kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Rose," he whispered, his voice rough. "Thank you so much."


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor grew up understanding the concept of relative dimension, and had created a house in a shoebox when he was just a few years old. Gallifreyan children were tested at a young age for their skill and potential for Academy training. Only a select few ever went on to be Time Lords.

By the time he stepped into his TARDIS and took it out on his first adventure, the universe had lost much of its mystery. The doctrine of Time Lord Superiority had been drilled into his head.

He wondered if Gallifreians still birthed their offspring, still held them and watched them as they discovered the amazing fascination in their own fist, if the Universe would have seemed so blasé.

Of course, he had technically been a father. His superior DNA had been woven in The Loom to create the next generation of potential Time Lords. He had met the boy who had come from him years later, and unlike other Gallifreians, he felt a connection and responsibility to the boy. He had offered guidance and acted as a mentor, and felt an uncommon sense of pride when his 'son' joined the Academy. Although he did not go on to be a Time Lord, he was a brilliant man who contributed to the advancement of Gallifrey. And The Doctor had been there to see the next generation, a girl. All before his first regeneration.

Susan. She had been the closest he ever had to a family. Because Gallifreians didn't hold stock in familial lineage, no one had thought it odd that he asked she accompany him. No one thought it unusual. She was gifted. She had his DNA. It made sense that he would want someone equal to him.

That had been so long ago. So very long ago. Through the centuries, he had observed humans and their domesticity, and his Gallifreian teaching told him it was foolishness. A waste of time and energy. But, deep down, he wondered what it would feel like—what it would mean—to live for no other purpose than to take care of another person.

Or, persons… Rose… and Ginger.

Because, right now, nothing else existed but the tiny bundle lying on the floor between his legs, sucking fervently on her own fingers. Her wide eyes watched him, and ever once in awhile, her tiny legs kicked beneath the pink blanket Rose had wrapped her in. She was beautiful—the most beautiful thing he had ever seen—and he had seen many beautiful things.

"Look at you," he said softly, smiling as he leaned forward to bring his face closer to Ginger's. _Ginger_. What a perfectly perfect name. "I'm going to show you the universe."

He smelled her before she spoke, the steam from her shower permeating the air around her, leaving everything scented like roses. "I can't tell you how much I missed that bathroom."

The Doctor looked up, and did his best to tamp down the instinctive reaction to her. Wearing nothing more than a towel with her skin bright and glistening, she stirred things deep down inside him. But, she had told him that humans required weeks of recovery from giving birth and that their physical reunion would need to wait.

He watched her as she crossed to them in the beautiful nursery that was now as large as the bedroom suite and bathroom combined. The carpet was a beautiful rosy pink with swirls and stars and the TARDIS had selected the white and pink stripe motif. Rose knelt beside him, tucking the large bath sheet around her thighs as she looked down at their daughter's face.

_Their daughter._

_Brilliant_.

"Oh, so that's the truth of it. You came back for the bath."

Rose smiled—that same smile that had make him break rules and promises and give in to her every whim—and leaned her cheek on his shoulder. Her damp hair brushed his cheek. "You figu'd me out."

They'd spent two hours talking, and he knew almost everything about her life in Pete's World, and how she had come back to him. While it was fascinating, it didn't surprise him that she'd worked it out and convinced his other self to bring her home.

"Do you forgive me?"

Her question was so soft, he barely heard her. The Doctor leaned away from her so she had to lift her head, and touched her chin with his knuckle to make her look at him. He waited until her eyes shifted to meet his, studying her for several seconds before answering.

"There's nothing to forgive. You were right. I _would have_ destroyed two universes to bring you home."


End file.
